Clerk Rick Patel was working at a Shell Food Mart in Claxton, Ga. when a hooded man approached the counter and attempted to rob the store at gunpoint. Patel responded by retrieving a pistol, which then he used to chase the criminal out of the store. Police suspect the hooded man has committed several other armed robberies.
Following the incident, Patel told Savannah’s WJCL, “I don’t like to shoot nobody but when it comes to my life I would. And thank God I didn’t get hurt, I didn’t kill him, otherwise I would have regretted but hey, you made the choice, regrets happen.” In recent years, some convenience store clerks have faced discipline following an act of armed self-defense. In a welcome departure from these instances, the owner of Patel’s store told the TV station, “I’m really proud. Whatever he did I’d like if everybody started doing it that way, robbery will be stopped, especially for convenience stores.” NRA-ILA News